"Wouldn't it be interesting to do a piece on the acronyms that teens are using across the Internet, especially on social media and apps, to help parents understand what, in fact, their kids are talking about?" I thought.

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

"I like made this google document on all my rules and requirements on how to take a selfie. I take a lot of pictures, but don't judge, I take like 100 usually, or like 150, maybe 200 sometimes if I really can't get a right one.

Hide Caption

1 of 8

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

I don't like dealing with things face to face because it's really easy to hide behind your phone and on face to face, like you have to deal with the other person."

Hide Caption

2 of 8

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

A lot of people follow me that I do not know. There's actually a lot of people who I have no idea who they are but I just let them follow me because the more the merrier."

Hide Caption

3 of 8

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

"I would rather not eat for a week than get my phone taken away. It's really bad."

Hide Caption

4 of 8

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

They made up a fake account and scrolled through every single one of her photos and commented something rude. No human should be able to say such rude things to someone, especially behind a screen where they're being cowards

Hide Caption

5 of 8

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

"I definitely feel pressure to look perfect on Instagram. What goes through my mind as I'm posting a picture about myself is - I'm thinking, ˜What will people think of this? Are they going to approve? Are they going to think I'm ugly, are they going to think I'm pretty? I'm thinking all these things and I'm comparing myself to others."

Hide Caption

6 of 8

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

"The most times I check it (my phone) in a day? I lose track. It's just a need. Like I need to."

Hide Caption

7 of 8

Photos:#Being13 in the social media age

Even though I was at school, I would still check my phone because I mean, people post things at school and stuff, so you still always worry."

Hide Caption

8 of 8

I consulted existing lists of Internet acronyms and talked with Internet safety experts. It seemed fine -- until the story published and I received a wildly critical response on social media, often with language that I can't include here.

My Twitter feed blew up with people saying I didn't know what I was talking about and that teens weren't using most of the acronyms on my list.

Read More

Here's why I'm sorry: For that story, I never consulted with the true experts -- teens, themselves.

I'm thankful to have a chance for a re-do, and this time I know we'll get it right because our list comes straight from the social media posts of 13-year-olds around the country.

As part of a two-year investigation, #Being13: Inside the Secret World of Teens, Anderson Cooper and his "AC360°" team connected with 200 eighth-graders at eight different schools around the United States. They, along with their parents and schools, gave CNN and two child-development experts permission to review what they were posting on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook over a six-month period.

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

He went from being 13 to hosting 360.

Hide Caption

1 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Anderson Cooper

Hide Caption

2 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

He's bound for the University of Miami before landing at CNN.

Hide Caption

3 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Brian Todd

Hide Caption

4 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

She spent years helping John Walsh help catch some of "America's Most Wanted."

Hide Caption

5 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Alisyn Camerota

Hide Caption

6 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

He went from playing the trumpet to playing "Jeopardy" ... and winning.

Hide Caption

7 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

John Berman

Hide Caption

8 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

She went from junior high to CNN's senior political correspondent.

Hide Caption

9 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Brianna Keilar

Hide Caption

10 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

She's not done climbing. She will go on to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Hide Caption

11 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Brooke Baldwin

Hide Caption

12 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

This Louisiana native never lost his skateboarding skills.

Hide Caption

13 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Don Lemon

Hide Caption

14 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Don't let the hair throw you off. He becomes a doctor with a list of very famous patients.

Hide Caption

15 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Dr. Drew Pinsky

Hide Caption

16 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Some kids dream of becoming the President. This one became the president of CNN.

Hide Caption

17 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Jeff Zucker

Hide Caption

18 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

He helped Bill Clinton win the 1992 presidential election.

Hide Caption

19 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Paul Begala

Hide Caption

20 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

He will go on to pull double duty as a CNN anchor and field reporter.

Hide Caption

21 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Victor Blackwell

Hide Caption

22 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

She launched her TV career in Canada before helping launch "New Day" on CNN.

Hide Caption

23 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

Michaela Pereira

Hide Caption

24 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

She is not only a CNN political commentator, but she was also a consultant for HBO's "The Newsroom."

Hide Caption

25 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

S.E. Cupp

Hide Caption

26 of 28

Photos:Name the CNN talent from their junior high school photo

He would grow up to become a lawyer with a client list that includes Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and Sean "Diddy" Combs.

So what better way to know what acronyms and other shorthand teens, or in this case, 13-year-olds, use on social media than to scan their posts? Here are some of the more popular acronyms and sayings, from the innocent to the racy.

1. OOTD - Outfit of the day

2. KOTD - Kicks of the day -- Typically refers to sneakers

3. HMU - Hit me up -- Usually asking for someone's Snapchat username, a phone number to text or for a direct message

4. Smash - I would have sex with you -- A girl might post a provocative picture and a boy might write "smash."

5. Cook session - When one or several teens gang up on another kid on social media

6. TBH - To be honest -- A teen might post a picture of himself or herself and ask for a TBH, usually looking for positive responses.

7. TBR - To be rude -- While TBH often leads to positive responses, TBR is usually followed by a negative response.

8. OOMF - One of my followers -- A secretive way to talk about one of their followers without saying their name, such as "OOMF was so hot today."